Story by
4 takeaways as Celtics lose to Bucks after confounding 2nd half
- Story by
- 4 takeaways as Celtics lose to Bucks after confounding 2nd half
The Celtics seemingly couldn't make a shot in the second half as they lost 116-101 to the Bucks on Thursday in Milwaukee . The loss snapped a five-game win streak for the C's, falling to 15-10 on the season. The Bucks, after losing 10 of their last 12 games, improved to 11-15.
It was all Celtics early as they drained 3-pointers to put the Bucks down. But Milwaukee, still playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo , stayed in the game to show some fight.
Advertisement
The night changed in the second half as the Celtics sputtered offensively in a confounding performance. The C's couldn't hit a 3-pointer as they scored just 13 points in the third quarter. On the other side, the Bucks seemingly couldn't miss. Milwaukee built a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter as the Celtics failed to mount a comeback attempt.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting, though battled early foul trouble. Jordan Walsh was again stellar with 20 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Kuzma had a great night with 31 points while Bobby Portis went off with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Porter Jr. also had a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for the Bucks.
The Celtics return home to host the Pistons at 7 p.m. Monday for their next game. Here are four takeaways from Boston 's loss to Milwaukee:
Ice-cold half:The Celtics missed 16 straight 3-pointers to open the second half as their offense couldn't generate enough makes. The Bucks, led by Kuzma and Portis, also kept raining 3s on the C's. While the Celtics were in control early, the misses just put too much pressure on the defense. They shot just 12-for-47 (25.5%) from the field, including 3-for-27 (11.1%) on 3-pointers, in the second half. The lack of shot-making quickly led to a blowout loss for the C's. Boston was outscored 56-34 in the second half as Milwaukee picked up a much-needed victory.
Advertisement
Extra juice:There was a bit of chirping Thursday, adding to an already competitive game. Kuzma talked some trash to Brown as the mics caught him talking about Twitch streams in the first half. Portis got in on the talking after hitting a midrange jumper with Brown guarding him in the second half. He was talking enough trash that the refs hit him with a technical foul. Turns out, that seemingly helped ignite the Bucks on their big run in the second half.
Breakout continues:Walsh's ascension continued Thursday as he was seemingly everywhere in the first half. He hit his first eight shots on the night while adding seven rebounds and three steals. It was a tough showing for the team in the second half, but it's clear Walsh is playing the best basketball of his career. It was another positive night for him even though the loss was a tough blow for the team.
Blowout loss:Part of why the Celtics have impressed this season is because of their stellar offensive rating, plus they don't get blown out often. Thursday was the first time since Nov. 7, a 123-110 loss to the Magic, where the C's lost by double-digits. It's also only the fourth time this season where the C's fell by double-digits. It was a rare sight, but sometimes that happens over the course of a long NBA season. Portis, Kuzma and Porter all played well to lead the Bucks to a win even without Antetokounmpo.
More Celtics content
Advertisement
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
